How to Remove a Broken Key in Lock

To remove a key broken in a lock, try the following:

You need a thin, sturdy piece of metal with teeth or a hook of some kind to do this.

Tool Suggestions:

jigsaw blade
piece of coping saw blade
scroll saw blade
hacksaw blade
dental pick
Any piece of thin metal with a ‘hook’ on the end that can grab key

Step One:

• First give a quick spray of wd40 into keyway, make it as easy as possible for key piece to slide out.

Step Two:

• Insert the blade of your tool into keyway. Make sure the teeth of the tool are facing out and towards you.

Step Three:

• Try grabbing the key cut with your blade–work with the grooved edge of the key, not the smooth edge. Once your tool grabs the key cut, try sliding it out.
• If key won’t slide out, try a quick tug with your tool–key may pop out.

If you can fiddle and move the key piece out far enough, try grabbing it with needle nose pliers, tweezers, nail clippers, anything that will grab the edge allowing you to pull out the rest of the key.

Potential problem: if key piece just won’t budge, look closely and make sure the lock cylinder is in neutral position and not turned slightly. If so, adjust and retry.

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